Shrinkflation, a Big Budgeting Mistake, and Job Hunting on Tinder

Get answers straight from the career and finance pros.

We asked you to vote on a question you'd like answered. The winner was:

What’s the biggest budgeting mistake people make?

FEATURED EXPERT:

Ashley Lapato

Personal finance educator for YNAB

People aren't asking themselves, “How do I want to spend my money?” And that sounds so simple, but it is such a mindset shift. So often, people think that money is something to be managed. But you could look at it like: “How do I want to show up in the world? Money is a tool that helps me do that. It’s not how the world thinks I should spend my money or my parents or my employer, but, how do I want to spend my money?” This mindset shift puts you in the driver's seat.

One of my favorite things to ask people is, “If you're looking at your money plan, what can I learn about you from it?” Bills don’t tell me much. The more that we can see ourselves in our money plan, the less restrictive it feels. If you want money for “I love this little bakery down the street,” awesome. Add it to your money plan, and then there's no guilt. You just spend the money that's put in that little category and things are wonderful. You get the joy of the experience without that lingering second-guessing.

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How to win at work, according to successful women.

World Cup champion, Olympic bronze medalist, and National Women’s Soccer League star, Sam Mewis’s soccer career is full of highlights. Now retired from the game, she’s editor-in-chief of The Women's Game at the Men in Blazers Media Network where she covers all things women’s soccer, including hosting a podcast. Thankfully, when it comes to winning at work, so many lessons are the same on and off the field, from learning from your mistakes to being persistent. Here’s Mewis’s advice for how to always bring your A game.

Advice for what to do when you…

Fail...

Identify what went wrong, and how your thinking led you to a mistake. Write it down and dedicate time to thinking about it. Make a plan for your new approach and move on.

Feel stuck...

This might not be your ideal situation right now, but are you building to a situation that would be ideal in the future? If it's worth the work, keep going.

Need a confidence boost…

Change your routine. Work out. Make a to-do list. Connect with someone socially. Go for a walk and listen to pump-up music.

Are nearing burnout... 

Delegate, take a mental health break, put in for time off, and book a friggen’ trip. Work isn't more important than your life.

Get your paycheck... 

Save for retirement.

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